# HiByMusic vs Light Player

The clearest difference is review sentiment: Light Player at 91% against HiByMusic's 42%. Light Player also leads on rating (4.6 vs 3.4) and update cadence (every 9 days vs every 3 months). HiByMusic's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 3) and iOS requirement (12.0 vs 15.0). On price, ratings volume, ads and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Light Player sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per year. HiByMusic asks for nothing beyond the download.

Light Player holds the better App Store score, 4.6 against 3.4. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 140 and 70 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 42% of HiByMusic's written reviews are positive against 91% of Light Player's.

HiByMusic ships an update every 3 months, Light Player every 9 days. The most recent releases landed on September 28, 2026 and September 27, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | HiByMusic | Light Player |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [3.4 (140 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/hibymusic/id1048838844/reviews) | **[4.6 (70 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/light-player-local-and-cloud/id6468552607/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **140** | 70 |
| Positive reviews | 42.0% of reviews | **90.9% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 3 months | **Every 9 days** |
| Monetization | **Free** | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 48 MB | 77 MB |
| Requires iOS | **12.0** | 15.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | **iPhone, iPad, iPod, Mac** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Dongguan Hiby Music Technology Co., Ltd.](https://appshunter.io/developer/1048838843) | [Xi'an Mengqi Network Technology Co., Ltd.](https://appshunter.io/developer/1472686132) |

## What reviewers say

### HiByMusic

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/hibymusic/id1048838844)

A free, high-fidelity audio player for audiophiles and music lovers. It supports a wide range of lossless and lossy formats, offering high-precision decoding and advanced audio features for a premium listening experience.

**Highlights:** Wide lossless/lossy audio format support, CUE sheets and ISO image support, High precision decoding (32-bit output, 64-bit float), External USB DAC support, Gapless playback, 10 band graphic EQ, MSEB support

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 🎵 Excellent hi-res audio support (DSD, FLAC, WAV, APE)
- 🆓 Free app without ads or hidden fees
- 🎨 Clean and intuitive user interface
- 🔗 HibyLink functionality for controlling compatible devices
- ⚙️ Effective equalizer and DSP effects

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Frequent crashes and stability issues
- 📱 Poor iOS optimization compared to Android version
- 🔌 Unreliable Bluetooth and WiFi connectivity
- 🎯 Clunky and unintuitive user experience
- 🚫 CarPlay support removed in recent updates

**Reported bugs**

- App crashes during music library scanning (around 3,000 files)
- HibyLink connection drops repeatedly
- Music playback stops when app is backgrounded
- Rewind button behavior inconsistent (goes to previous song instead of replaying)
- Album shuffle mixing with existing playlist songs

**Requested features**

- Manual playlist reordering
- ID3 tag editing capability
- Folder-based music library scanning
- Album artist sorting (not just track artist)
- Album favorites/bookmarking


### Light Player

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/light-player-local-and-cloud/id6468552607)

Manage and enjoy your music collection offline with this intuitive player. Easily import, categorize, and enhance your library with automatic cover art retrieval. Experience high-quality playback anywhere, without needing an internet connection.

**Highlights:** Offline music playback, Wi-Fi music import, Music library management, Automatic cover art retrieval, User-friendly interface, High-quality music experience

**Features:** Siri integration, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (3)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| 年度订阅（12个月） | $2.99 | per year |
| Lifetime Premium — Special Offer | $5.99 | one-time |
| Lifetime Premium | $7.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is HiByMusic free?

HiByMusic is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Is Light Player free?

Light Player is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, HiByMusic or Light Player?

Light Player is rated higher. HiByMusic averages 3.4 out of 5 from 140 ratings, while Light Player averages 4.6 from 70 ratings.

### Do HiByMusic or Light Player have ads?

Neither HiByMusic nor Light Player shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, HiByMusic or Light Player?

HiByMusic ships an update every 3 months, and Light Player every 9 days. Most recently, HiByMusic was updated on September 28, 2026 and Light Player on September 27, 2026.

---

*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*